The fact that units previously unable to connect are now connecting means that remaining reports may either be (1) this issue still lingering in certain areas or (2) an unrelated issue in need of further diagnosing. I'm going to want to collect a volume of reports over the weekend to get a better idea of whether or not the issue reported here has been completely resolved.

In the meantime, the following questions come to mind to anyone encountering phone connection issues:* Are you able to make a connection using a non-toll free number forced as a dial prefix? If not, you need to troubleshoot your phone lines further.* Were you connecting regularly right up to a certain point, or is this the first time in awhile you're trying to connect? If you haven't connected in awhile, it's hard to claim that the phone environment is beyond question.* Are you certain you have analog phone service, rather than digital such as that provided by Vonage, Comcast Digital Voice, Time Warner Voice, and AT&T U-verse?* If you have DSL, are you using a filter on the DVR's line? And are you using 4 or less filters in the home (they have a cumulative dampening effect)?* Do you have voicemail on the line that puts a stutter tone on the line for a few seconds? If so, add two commas to the beginning of your dial prefix to insert a 4 second pause before dialing.

A few other basic Troubleshooting steps:* Try turning off phone detections.* Remove splitters.* Try a different phone cord.* Try a different phone jack.* Disconnect all other phone devices, especially those with Caller ID, temporarily. If the call connects, use process of elimination to figure out what is causing issues.

I just got another second hand SDVR-80. I hooked it up to just to see if it works, but without a valid access card. I can get the one preview channel, but nothing else, as expected. I tried to get it to call in, but it can't connect. Do I have to have a valid access card to get it to dial in, or am I having the same type of problem as reported on this thread or some other problem?

I think part of my problem may be that I have poor line quality, with a lot of noise. I could not even get my the fax part of my new all in one printer to work. I may have to bring it to a friends house to get it to call in. Do I need to do that before I call DTV to add the unit to my account?

The fix does work.
Nov 07 my unit quit dialing in. Called DTV and they could not fix the problem. They said this unit would eventually quit recording. They sent me a new DVRplus and I was told my account would stay the same and my bill would remain the same. Since I own my equipment I was skeptical. Being an old Primestar customer I only am charged a 1 time mirroring charge for as many receivers as I have connected so I kept the TIVO unit as a stand alone receiver. When my first bill was received I was charged a lease fee for both DVRs. I called them and they reset my account to a non leased account and was able to keep the DVRplus. Which isn't near the unit the TIVO is. May 8 the TIVO quit recording. It started back recording again 2 weeks later but it still had not successfully made a call. I tried the fix last night and it made a successful call.
Thank you very much and I will pass this on to any one else I know.

The problem I am having seems to be related but slightly different. I can get my v6.3e HDVR2 to do the initial dial in and retrieve the list of local phone numbers but I can never get it to make a successful call after that. I've tried sitting in front of it for over and hour and trying every local (and not so local) number and have yet to have it successfully connect. I can here the modems phreaking to each other but that's it. After about 5 seconds, it becomes one solid tone (think the flatline noise from a heart machine). Does anyone know if there is a way to script dialing in? I'd like it to download and install 6.4a but to do that, I have to make one successful call (at least I believe so). I do have networking working but it also can't seem to connect although I can telnet/ftp/tivoweb on the box just fine. When dialing in it times out and says "service not answering" and when dialing in it says "unrecoverable error" (at least I think, it's late and I'm tired).
Ideas? Suggestions? Scripting daily call?

As luck would have it, my HDVR2 must have finally made a successful call as it downloaded and installed 6.4a the other night. This was a machines that I had to reimage because the harddrive died and I reimaged with 6.3e but it couldn't seem to ever call out which from my understanding it must do one before it can install the latest software.
J.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swspjcd

The problem I am having seems to be related but slightly different. I can get my v6.3e HDVR2 to do the initial dial in and retrieve the list of local phone numbers but I can never get it to make a successful call after that. I've tried sitting in front of it for over and hour and trying every local (and not so local) number and have yet to have it successfully connect. I can here the modems phreaking to each other but that's it. After about 5 seconds, it becomes one solid tone (think the flatline noise from a heart machine). Does anyone know if there is a way to script dialing in? I'd like it to download and install 6.4a but to do that, I have to make one successful call (at least I believe so). I do have networking working but it also can't seem to connect although I can telnet/ftp/tivoweb on the box just fine. When dialing in it times out and says "service not answering" and when dialing in it says "unrecoverable error" (at least I think, it's late and I'm tired).
Ideas? Suggestions? Scripting daily call?

Also DO NOTE that if you have originally MOD' your hard drive prior to CLEARING & DELETING
this dial in fix WILL NOT work or NEGOTIATE with mod settings prior. You will have to reinstall a clean image otherwise all will hang

Hey everyone, love this forum I've been lurking for years but this is my first post.

I got an HDVR2 from ebay back in March with a 144 hour hard drive (software version 6.2) included and I just tried activating this weekend as it was only a backup. As most people were, I can't get the initial call to go thru.. I've tried the work around multiple times with various local (802) VT numbers but it keeps getting an error while "negotiating". Could it be that maybe the previous owner MOD' the hard drive which is causing the hang? I've only ever got my expanded drives from weaknees because I'm not that confident in my own computer skills. I'm curious if anyone thinks replacing the hard drive will be my only option because I don't have a clean image to try and reload on this unit?

Thanks for reading.. any/all input would be really appreciated. I apologize for being such a newbie.

But recent updates and additions to the search functionality, dare I say, makes it more powerful then Tivo Wishlists in many cases.

The search function on the HR series is still pretty unusable on a day-to-day basis. I just don't have the time to go through all my saved searches one at a time. The only reason I still have a DSR6000 TiVo in my HD setup is to do searches, since it allows me to just scroll down the aggregate list in a minute or two.

I was finally able to do my test, and yes indeed, the 800 number that the DTiVo calls to get the list of dialin numbers does not work. It DOES answer with a modem, but the negotiation fails. I used the technique described to select a different number, but the four numbers for my city I tried all failed in various ways. Hmm...

The number that my HR20-250 calls is a DTV voice line now. The DTiVo error message is "line is busy."

I was finally able to do my test, and yes indeed, the 800 number that the DTiVo calls to get the list of dialin numbers does not work. It DOES answer with a modem, but the negotiation fails. I used the technique described to select a different number, but the four numbers for my city I tried all failed in various ways. Hmm...

No - I wasn't really interested in a solution since I didn't need it myself. I was just trying to test the problem. My HR10 doesn't dial in. I assume you mean HR10-250.

Yes, I'm trying to set it up, but the only video out that works is HDMI. Since I have Vonage, I'm trying to avoid carrying it to a friend who has both a land line and an HDMI display. So far, no such friend. I'll try the tip from this thread and dial again.

Hi I have a Hdvr2 that I got from ebay, the hd was bad in it, but the former owner included a old hd that works fine, however it has the 3.1 ver software so I did a clear and delete all went fine, I did the guided setup all fine there, I went to do my call (I want to update my software), so I called to "active" the dvr that went fine to the 1-800 # and to do the test to the local #, however when I get to the force it to do the daily call all I get is "serivce not answering" or I get "modem handshake failed", now I am using a POTS phone system, I have tryed 5 differnt tivo #'s some local others long distance, any idea on how to fix this, all I need is the new software and then I don't care about calling in. Thanks!!

Go here and find a current local dialin number. Enter this as a "dialing prefix". This SHOULD get you past the problem.

I went to the link before I posted my message, and tried that, when I did the tivo dialed both numbers in a series and it said "no answer" so I deleted the tivo # out of the dial prefix.

Also when I changed #'s and it took 5 times to "test the connection" before it said successful.
Then I forced it to do the daily call, 20 times and got the error message "failed service not answering", so I gave up on it!

Is there a way to delete the tivo dialin number so it won't dial it after the prefix?

Also the numbers that the link gives, are the same as the ones brought up by my Directivo, for my area code.

Normally, the additional numbers after the first valid set do not interfere with the dialing. That used to be a problem with Vonage, but they changed their software and it now works like all the POTS lines I have ever used.

Well, had an old SD DVR40 to activate, so had to do clear and delete after changing hard drive....unit would NOT make call and start DVR service after putting in my area code....tried at least 20 times. Went to tivo site, got phone numbers, put entire number in as prefix and it WORKED immediately...got the list of numbers, took the prefix off and everything is working great.

Thank you. I followed the instructions: Upon setup for the first dial in, enter your area code as normal.
and then ENTER the entire phone number listed from TIVO website 1+AC+Number
into the CALL PREFIX SECTION.

Finally dialed in, now the annoying fail to connect message will go away!

A fix that works 100% of the time.
Ok here is the quick story, I have a HDVR2, I had to replace the Hard drive (classic case of rebooting when the thing felt like it), any how my old drive was to bad to transfer the shows to the new hd, so I got out my instantcake ver 6.2 software, and used it on the new hd. Worked fine rebooted Tivo, no local channels (again normal), also it told me the box was not active and needed to make a call, well I cheated here. Here is how: (note it will ask you to log into directv.com), ok after the Tivo reboots and you see live tv, goto your computer and put in this web address :https://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/mydir...uestid=2586995
now select your tivo reciver you wish to "Reauthorize" and click on continue and thats it. The tivo will goto the downloading the program guide screen and then you will have your local channels and the DVR will be active, no phone line needed, just the satellite connection!!!